


Secret Santa

by storytimewritings



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Philinda - Freeform, Philinda 24 Kisses, coulson family feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 19:41:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2823770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storytimewritings/pseuds/storytimewritings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My story for the Philinda 24 Kisses Challenge!</p>
<p>Lots of Coulson Family Feels, and is from both Skye and May's perspective. Whilst this is a Philinda fic, there is a lot of Skye also, especially focusing on her relationships with Coulson and May. </p>
<p>Also, Trip is not dead, and the other members of the team are also in the fic. </p>
<p>Skye wants to celebrate Christmas, so Coulson organises a Secret Santa!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secret Santa

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for being so late with this, I tried to make up for it by making the story longer. I hope you all like it!
> 
> Thanks to everyone who came up with ideas for May's present! I combined a few of them!

Mack and Fitz are sitting closest to the fire, quietly debating something about engineering that Skye can’t make out. But she’s happy for Fitz, that he’s finally started to make a strong recovery. He’ll never be the same, but then again, none of them will. He’s just been more physically affected than most. And he and Jemma are on the mend, slowly moving forward as friends. It’s taken some time, but they’re getting there.

Most importantly, Skye thinks, as awful as this whole situation has been, it’s given them the opportunity to learn who they are without the other, to grow as individuals. That can only help in the long run.

As she wanders over and squishes between Jemma and Trip on the couch, the scientist asks, ‘Hey Skye, you were talking to Coulson earlier. Do you know what this is about?’

‘Maybe.’

‘What are you up to?’ Trip wonders.

‘You’ll find out soon,’ Skye lets out an uncharacteristic giggle.

With that, the Director enters, and everyone halts their conversations, including Bobbi and Lance who have been cuddling and whispering for the better part of an hour. As disgusting as it’s been at times, at least they’re on good terms. It’s always a nightmare when an argument erupts between them, as they somehow manage to involve the whole base and everything descends into chaos.

May follows after him, always watching his back. She smiles briefly at Skye, before turning her attention back to Coulson.

‘It’s been a tough year on all of us…and we’ve lost some good people.’

Lance and Bobbi sober up at that, and exchange looks with Mack.

‘And I’m grateful for your continued help and support in the fight against Hydra. But on a lighter note, Skye begged me into allowing a little Christmas cheer, so for this upcoming week we’ll all be taking a break, unless something major comes up. I’m sure Skye will annoy you all into helping put up some decorations.’

Skye grins at that, and nods along to his words, ‘As soon as this speech is over, we’re gonna put up the tree!’

Trip and Jemma can’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm, and even May smirks slightly.

She’s finally found a home, found a family, and as unconventional as they are, she’s happy where she is. SHIELD is the family she never had. May and Coulson even sort of act like parents. She giggles to herself at the idea of May and Coulson as their parents, then stops when she realises that everyone is still looking at her.

Laughing still, she says, ‘Please do go on.’

‘Thanks Skye. I was thinking that we could have a Secret Santa. So I’ve got a hat here with everyone’s names in it. If you could pick one out and if you get yours just put it back in. You have until Christmas day when we will open the presents to find something.’

After Coulson and May pick a name, Skye makes her way over to them and takes one. Her eyes widen. She’s got May. This will be no easy feat, for as much as she adores May, she still knows so little about her, and definitely not enough to find a good present for her. She passes the hat on and follows Coulson into his office.

*****

She picks a name. Trip. As much as she feels that the two of them have become friends, she doesn’t know much about him. And maybe that’s her fault. For not allowing herself to become close to anyone, when they were all bonding as a team. Sometimes, she feels like the odd one out, that she’s not wanted. Sometimes, when she catches a glimpse of a silent conversation, she wonders whether she’ll have any of that with the team.

But really she has no one to blame but herself. They’ve all tried so hard to get to know her, but she’s waved them off, always putting compartmentalisation first. After all, not controlling her emotions effectively is how she managed to find herself in love with Phil again after so many years, after he had died! She thinks that perhaps if she keeps her walls up around the others, then she won’t feel as much pain if something happens to them.

May turns the corner and makes her way towards Coulson’s office. One of the others would perhaps be of more help as to what Trip would like, but she’s much more comfortable just asking Coulson instead. Nearing his office, she notices that the door is only open just a crack, and that she can hear whispers.

She’s about to walk away, until she hears her name, and so creeps up closer to the door, and peers inside.

It’s Skye that Coulson’s talking to, not that this is a surprise. The whole team was aware of the close bond they’d formed since the beginning. What worries May is why they are talking about her. Are they keeping more secrets from her?

‘It’s just, I love May, I really do, but I still feel like I know almost nothing about her. And I certainly don’t know enough to buy her a good present. DC, I just want to show her that she’s important to me, so I need some gift ideas…’

‘Of course I’ll help Skye. She loves you too, you know, she just isn’t as open in showing that. And with everything she’s been through, it’s certainly understandable. I just hope that one day she’ll be ready to let you completely in. She’s already started to. You two are just so alike in many ways, I’m so glad you’ve gotten closer.’

‘Haha yeah, remember when we hated each other?! Well, I mean I don’t think I hated her, but I didn’t really like her. I just wish I’d looked past the surface quicker, and maybe not tried so hard to annoy her.’

Skye tears up at that, and May wishes that she could just go in and hug the girl. Convince her that she never hated her, that Coulson was right..she loved her. But she doesn’t want to intrude on the moment, and Skye at least deserves the semblance of privacy.

‘Hey hey Skye, it’s ok.’ Coulson attempts to comfort her. His voice softens.

‘Look at me Skye…May doesn’t hate you. She never did. You were simply the unknown variable on the Bus. She didn’t want you on the plane because you didn’t have a purpose in her plan. Simmons and Fitz were meant to help me, and Ward to help her put me down if necessary. But you were an unknown. She didn’t know how to factor you in, so you weren’t safe. It was always about protecting you.’

He’s right. And she’s glad that he’s assuaged Skye’s doubts about her. Because that’s exactly how it all went down. She’s put her walls up to protect herself, and she wanted Skye gone to protect her. But this is no way to live. She wants a close relationship with Skye, she wants to get to know the others better. Perhaps this will be her New Year’s resolution?

‘I think I have the perfect idea for a gift. Something she’ll really love…’

Not wanting to spoil the surprise, May leaves. Maybe she can start working on her resolution by asking Jemma instead about what to buy Trip…

***

Everyone is exchanging their Secret Santa gifts. Fitz has given Coulson some Captain America boxers, which makes everyone laugh, but most especially Skye. And she wouldn’t admit it, but May herself even chuckled a little to herself, as it brought back a few memories from their Academy days.

It’s the first Christmas that May has properly celebrated in years, so she can’t keep the smile off her face whilst she watches the others opening their presents, and playing games. Trip and Skye are in a corner by the tree, and Trip’s fastening a gorgeous gold necklace around Skye’s neck. She saw that coming a mile off.

‘So, ready to give me my money?’ she slyly asks Coulson, indicating the situation over by the tree.

She’s happy for Skye and Trip, she really is, especially after Ward broke Skye’s heart so soon after she let herself feel something for him. It wasn’t love, May’s sure, but she knows that Skye thought it could be something worthwhile, if they gave it a chance. But Trip’s no traitor, and he makes Skye happy. He’s a good man, and she knows they’ll be good together. Better than Skye and fake Ward could ever have been.

‘I don’t know how you do it!’ Coulson laughs, handing her a $50 note.

‘No-one else suspected either, I asked them!’

‘Mmhmm…maybe you should do less talking and more observing,’ she quips, glad that they’d only gotten closer after the Hydra affair.

‘So Skye, you and Trip huh?’

May turns to see Skye standing awkwardly behind her. She brightens at Coulson’s words.

‘Kind of, yeah…’

‘I’m glad,’ May saves her from further interrogation.

‘Ummm, so May, I’m your Secret Santa. Here’s your present’ she says shyly, shoving the gift into May’s hands.

Skye fiddles uncomfortably, clearly anxious as to May’s reaction, so May quickly tears the wrapping paper, and is overwhelmed by what she sees.

It’s Tieguanyin, a rare Chinese oolong tea. Her favourite, and full of so many treasured memories. It astounds her that Coulson had remembered, after all these years.

She looks up, and smiles brightly at Skye, her eyes brimming with tears as she blurts out, ‘Thank you.’

Now Skye is the one overwhelmed, as May brings her in for a hug, and the rest of the team watch in shock.

Looking over Skye’s shoulder, May mouths her thanks to Coulson. Not just for remembering, but also for giving her this moment with Skye because of it. Another treasured memory that this tea would hold for her.

***

Later, Skye makes her way up to Coulson’s office, to thank him again for his suggestion. He’d only told her a little of the significance of the tea for May, but she still hadn’t expected such an out of character reaction from May. That tea was worth every penny, even though it had been very expensive. May deserved it, and Skye could only hope that this moment would help them become closer.

She almost enters the office, but something stops her. Coulson and May are standing close. Very close.

‘You remembered. I can’t believe it.’

‘Of course I did May. I remember everything you say. It was the anniversary of your father’s death, and you were on your last bit of the tea which he had always brought back for you from China after every business trip…’

‘So you went online and arranged for some to be delivered to me a few weeks later…You know, that’s one of my favourite memories. There’s just something about this tea, so many good memories seem to follow-of my father, of you, and now of Skye…’

Skye almost gasps in shock. Coulson hadn’t mentioned all this, of just how much the tea meant to May. And just to hear that May placed the memory of her gift alongside those of her father and of Coulson, had her in tears.

‘I love you.’

Skye’s jaw drops. Not over the admission itself, but the fact that May had said it first. Even an oblivious idiot could tell how the two felt about each other. No, the shock was that May had let down her walls first.

She observes the shock on Coulson’s face and watches as it changes to relief. As if a huge burden had been lifted. Because of course the only idiots who couldn’t see how they felt about each other had been the two it concerned. Then again, perhaps May had known all along. She’d just been too scared to admit it.

‘I don’t want to live in denial anymore, Phil. I love you, and you love me. I’ve known that for years. But I was too afraid, of ruining everything, of destroying our friendship. I’m so sorry.’

Coulson caresses her face softly, and pulls her into a hug.

‘Oh May, I wish I’d known sooner. But that’s all in the past, all we can do now is move forward,’ and he presses a gentle kiss to her lips.

It’s over in a few seconds.

But then, May pulls him back for more, and it’s both sweet and filled with passion, gentle and hard. It’s everything that Skye ever imagined the perfect kiss would be. They move together in perfect harmony, clutching each other tightly.

It’s the perfect moment, and Skye feels so lucky to have witnessed this example of real, pure love. She’s so happy for them. They’ve always felt like parents to her, and she almost feels like a kid whose parents have gotten back together.

Sighing dreamily, she decides to let them have a little privacy.

And maybe, just maybe, she’ll let them have some alone time before she tells the others.

Guess who won the pool?!


End file.
